Faces of the Campground: Warren & Ruth

In this month’s edition of “Faces of the Campground” we would like to introduce you to Warren and Ruth from Pennsylvania. They are a spunky couple in their mid 80’s who have been camping for over 50 years together as a couple! And they’ve been camping even longer than that since Warren camped as a child with his family and Ruth camped as a Girl Scout.

They started camping in tents before moving up to a pop-up camper when their kids were young. Then they had a motorhome when they did a great deal of traveling. These days Warren and Ruth enjoy camping in their A-Liner camper, which they find suits their needs well since they can tow it with their minivan and it is not too big for them to manage.

When they go out camping Warren and Ruth really enjoy staying at state park campgrounds. They find the sites are clean, roomy, and affordable–and many of them are in beautiful locations. They also shared that the people they meet in state parks are very friendly, which is why they now serve as campground hosts at a few Pennsylvania state parks. They also shared that these state parks have offered them the ability to enjoy the outdoors and get away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Not only is camping in their blood but that love has been passed on to much of their family as well. They have held their annual family reunion at the same state park for the past 25 years! They said these times are always filled with wonderful fellowship as family members come from all over to kick back and enjoy the beautiful outdoors together.

We asked them about some of their best and worst memories of camping and since they have been camping for so long they had plenty to share. Their most memorable trip was in 1972 when they spent two weeks in Florida camping with their kids. They toured Disney World (which had only been open a year!), St. Augustine, and the Cypress Gardens. However, like all campers they have had their share of close calls. Warren shared about a time they told their daughter to put the campfire out, but instead of grabbing the water can she picked up a gasoline can! Miraculously, their daughter did not get burned and no one was injured!

With Ruth and Warren’s years of camping experience, we were very eager to hear their advice for new campers and here is what they shared:

1. Plan a weekend trip to get the hang of it before you go for longer stretches.
2. Plan your meals in advance.
3. Make a list of everything you need and double check it so you don’t forget anything.
4. And stay positive … even if it rains!

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Thanks so much Warren and Ruth for sharing a little bit of your camping story with us! Look for more “Faces of the Campground” profiles to come each month!